Position-by-Position Breakdown of Philadelphia Eagles' Top Combine Targets

The Philadelphia Eagles have a myriad of pressing roster needs over the 2017 offseason, and the NFL combine will put a microscope on some of the draft prospects that the team will entrust to fill those needs.

Some of the needs are much bigger than others, but there's no shortage of positions across the depth chart that require serious upgrades before they head into training camp. With one of the lowest cap numbers in the NFL, the onus is on Philadelphia to scout and draft well to make up for the lack of money the Eagles have to chase top free agents.

Let's go position by position and look at some top prospects at the spots the Eagles are most likely to address in the April draft, along with some value picks for Day 2 and 3 of the draft. 

Cornerback

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The Eagles are more likely than not to deploy two new starters at cornerback to start the 2017 season, but a lot of that hinges on how heavily they invest in the position during the draft.

Leodis McKelvin has been cut, Nolan Carroll is a free agent and there's no young talent at the position outside of 2016 seventh-round pick Jalen Mills. The Eagles need a starter so bad out wide on defense that they may be forced to go after one with the first-round pick.

Marlon Humphrey (Alabama): Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey may be the best cornerback in the draft and one of the only players worthy of the Eagles' first-round selection. A rangy, sizable corner at 6'1", Humphrey would match up well against the big, speedy wideouts in the NFC East and immediately become one of the Eagles' most important defensive players.

Quincy Wilson (Florida): Outshone in preseason hype by fellow Florida corner Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson had the better season in the Gators secondary with 33 tackles and six passes broken up. Wilson brings the same 6'1" size to the table as Humphrey with comparable speed, and he can solidify his status as a top cornerback prospect with good numbers at the combine.

Adoree' Jackson (USC): Limitations with Adoree' Jackson's ability to be an everyday corner may cause him to drop into the second round, where the Eagles could swoop in. Jackson isn't quite there yet as a dependable cornerback on the outside, but he would inject top-flight speed into a special teams unit that's already the league's best and provide a lot of potential on defense.

Cameron Sutton (Tennessee): Vols cornerback Cameron Sutton may have the talent of a first-rounder, but an injury-plagued final season at Tennessee caused his stock to drop a bit. Sutton was one of the SEC's best cornerbacks up until his injury. At 5'11" and 185 pounds, he has the prototypical size and speed to be a high-value draft pick for Day 2.

Brendan Langley (Lamar): Small-school sensation Brendan Langley had a monster senior season at Lamar, piling up six interceptions and 43 tackles, and worked his way into the conversation among mid-round cornerback prospects. If the 6'0", 200-pounder shows at the combine that he has NFL speed, he'll be a solid fifth- or sixth-round option for Philadelphia.

Wide Receiver

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The Eagles have picked their fair share of receivers near the top of recent NFL drafts, but the return hasn't quite been there. Jordan Matthews is the only young receiver who seems to be developing well, while Nelson Agholor and trade acquisition Dorial Green-Beckham have floundered.

There are some big-name free agents who the Eagles are sure to be interested in, but an early draft pick will be essential if they don't sign a true No. 1 target. There are a couple of studs they may look at in Round 1, along with plenty of potential in the middle rounds.

Mike Williams (Clemson): Eagles fans who watched Clemson's national championship victory over Alabama undoubtedly came away dreaming of what Mike Williams would bring to their team's offense. The 6'3" wideout is a beast in one-on-one matchups and has impeccable route-running ability to separate for chain-moving receptions. He is also one of two players worthy of a Round 1 selection who would immediately bring a new element to the offense.

Corey Davis (Western Michigan): Williams has been the center of attention for longer, but Western Michigan's Corey Davis is just as polished a prospect. Davis put up a whopping 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final season, and some NFL scouts think he'll have a better NFL career than Williams, per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. Davis won't run at the combine, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, but he'll be able to show off his hands a little bit. 

Malachi Dupre (LSU): Anything beyond a first-round pick could be seen by fans as not enough investment at receiver, but Malachi Dupre could provide tremendous value on Day 2. Dupre is the classic case of an uber-talented LSU receiver who didn't have the passing game around him to showcase his talents, and the big-bodied prospect could show in Indianapolis that he has the speed to be a high-potential pick.

Chris Godwin (Penn State): Chris Godwin's stock soared once the Penn State passing attack took off, and the 6'1" wideout could be one of the quickest receivers in the class despite his good size. He won't post a blistering 40 time, but Godwin will be able to showcase how well he separates from defensive backs.

Josh Malone (Tennessee): Vols wideout Josh Malone isn't getting the hype that his skill set should warrant, but he's improved in each of his three seasons at Tennessee. Malone is a big-play receiver with the speed and hands to catch the long ball, but most intriguing is the likelihood that the Eagles could get him as a steal in the late rounds.

Defensive End

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Despite having some recognizable names on the edge, pass rush was a serious weakness for the Eagles in their first year under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. It's growing increasingly apparent that some of the personnel just doesn't match the system. 

With Connor Barwin likely to be in a different uniform next season and an underwhelming campaign from Vinny Curry in 2016, the Eagles could bolster the unit with an early draft pick or look to the middle rounds for more value while saving the first-round pick for a more pressing need.

Derek Barnett (Tennessee): Some Eagles fans would flip if the first-round pick isn't used on the outside, but Derek Barnett could truly take the defensive line to the next level. The former Vol overpowered competition in college to become one of the most dominant pass-rushers in SEC history, despite being overshadowed by Myles Garrett. Nevertheless, NFL.com's Bucky Brooks is convinced Barnett could become a better NFL player than the potential No. 1 overall pick. The Eagles could realistically trade down several spots and still get him in Round 1.

Jordan Willis (Kansas State): It's a lot more likely that the Eagles will add an edge-rusher in the middle rounds, and Jordan Willis is a good fit. The Kansas State end is coming off a season in which he racked up 17.5 tackles for loss, and, at 6'3" and 255 pounds, he could pretty quickly be worked into the rotation.

Tanoh Kpassagnon (Villanova): Tanoh Kpassagnon has been quietly inching up draft boards for a while now, and the combine will be his golden opportunity to show he's worthy of an early-round pick. The Villanova standout is almost too big at 6'6" and 280 pounds, but he'll be able to show with numbers that he has the quickness to make the most of that size without it being a detriment.

Avery Moss (Youngstown State): Off-the-field issues at Nebraska spoiled much of Avery Moss' collegiate career, but he rehabilitated his image and draft stock under head coach Bo Pelini at Youngstown State with a big 2016 season. Moss is impressively explosive and has great athleticism that will jump off the page at the combine, and teams could view him as a potential high-risk, high-reward pick.

Keionta Davis (Chattanooga): Chattanooga's Keionta Davis showed a lot of consistency in college and got the opportunity to impress at the Senior Bowl, but a telling moment will be in Indy when he lines up right alongside the top prospects in his class. Davis translates very well to the 4-3 scheme, and he'll get plenty of attention in the later rounds if he looks like he belongs at the combine. 

Running Back

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Just like with defensive end, the Eagles have more pressing needs than running back, but they may be forced to make the selection there in Round 1 if the right guy is available.

Ryan Mathews may become a cap casualty, and the Eagles don't have much at the position outside of Wendell Smallwood and Kenjon Barner, the latter of whom is a restricted free agent. Eagles fans looking for a big splash this offseason may be clamoring for one of the big names at running back.

Dalvin Cook (Florida State): FSU speedster Dalvin Cook looks like a perfect fit for the Eagles offense on paper. Cook has the vision, size and strength to be a between-the-tackles back on every down, but he also possesses the home-run-hitting ability that has been lacking in the Eagles backfield since LeSean McCoy's departure. He would immediately take Carson Wentz's game to the next level.

Leonard Fournette (LSU): Of course, LSU's Leonard Fournette has been the darling of college football over the last couple of seasons, and it's finally time for him to show what he can do in the NFL. Injury problems aside, Fournette appears the more durable, bigger back who can command a massive workload while not sacrificing any speed or elusiveness. 

Brian Hill (Wyoming): In the high likelihood that the Eagles look instead at a back in the middle rounds, Brian Hill could be the guy. The Wyoming product projects as a first- and second-down back with great size for the position and ideally would mesh great with Smallwood as the bigger, more physical back of the two.

Samaje Perine (Oklahoma): After a record-breaking career with the Sooners, Oklahoma's Samaje Perine has lost some favor in the pre-draft process with less-than-ideal measurables. The doubts are that Perine doesn't have the speed or tackle-breaking ability to thrive in the NFL, but he could put some of those questions to bed in Indy.

Kareem Hunt (Toledo): Toledo's Kareem Hunt wouldn't work as well alongside Smallwood as some of these other prospects, but he's excellent as a receiving back and would give Wentz another option in the passing game. Hunt is 5'10" and 208 pounds and appears more than capable of having an early impact in the league.

Offensive Linemen

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The Eagles have a lot of money invested in their offensive line, but they don't possess much young talent to back it up and offer a bright glimpse of the future. That will be an area of focus in the draft.

There's not much available in terms of 2017 playing time with a starting front line largely set, but there should be a high priority placed on finding one or two promising talents to groom and begin rotating in to give the organization some flexibility in the coming years.

Dion Dawkins (Temple): Eagles scouts have likely gotten a good look at local offensive tackle product Dion Dawkins, and they should like what they've seen after he shut down opposing edge-rushers for the last couple of seasons. Dawkins has great feet and is a decent athlete, but he possesses the versatility to be groomed on the interior if necessary.

David Sharpe (Florida): Florida tackle David Sharpe had some bright moments and some rather dull ones lining up against some of the best edge-rushers in the 2017 class with the Gators. At 6'6" and pushing 350 pounds, Sharpe has long-term project written all over him, and that may tempt the Eagles to draft him as a developmental piece.

Kyle Fuller (Baylor): The interior is the only spot where the Eagles could plug in some young talent right away in 2017, and Kyle Fuller would be a solid option at center or guard. Fuller is a mauler in the run game but has some work to do in becoming a solid pass protector.

Tyler Orlosky (West Virginia): WVU's Tyler Orlosky is another mid-round option on the interior for the Eagles, but he's being boxed in as a center at the next level. Orlosky is a great angle blocker who needs to develop his ability to hold straight-away blocks, and the Eagles may provide him that opportunity.

Pat Elflein (Ohio State): What Pat Elflein lacks in size, he has more than made up for with an unrivaled work ethic that will allow him to become a potential starter in the NFL. Elfein excelled on a highly touted Buckeyes offensive line and could be the center of the future if he's groomed.

Linebacker

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The Eagles have two great linebackers in the fold with Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks, but Mychal Kendricks has been a horrible fit, and his role on the outside will likely need to be filled in the draft or free agency.

On top of that, Philadelphia is noticeably thin at the position and could use some young talent to back up their dependable linebackers.

Duke Riley (LSU): Most of the best outside linebackers in the class fit a 3-4 system better, but Duke Riley is one of the exceptions and appears to fit the 4-3 weakside linebacker hole that the Eagles have. Riley didn't get a lot of time as a starter in the LSU defense but excelled when given the chance, and he should put that on display at the combine.

Ryan Anderson (Alabama): Acting as a jack-of-all-trades defender in Alabama's system, Ryan Anderson is a very talented linebacker who has yet to show what his true fit at the next level will be. Anderson is undoubtedly effective at rushing the passer but will need to show more of an all-around ability at the second level in Indianapolis to get Philadelphia's attention.

Alex Anzalone (Florida): Injuries kept Florida's Alex Anzalone off the field for big chunks of his college career, but he should post all of the measurables necessary in Indianapolis to warrant more attention in the middle rounds. A solid pass-defender, Anzalone could be a great fit for Schwartz's system.

Tyus Bowser (Houston): Tyus Bowser is one of a few Houston defenders who was able to showcase his NFL draft stock despite a disappointing season for the Cougars in 2016. He looks like more of a strong-side linebacker, which would limit his early playing time in Philadelphia but allow him the chance to develop before getting a big role.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin (Tennessee): Tennessee's Jalen Reeves-Maybin is an intelligent do-it-all linebacker who would likely be a Day 2 selection if it weren't for a shoulder injury that kept him off the field most of 2016. Reeves-Maybin racked up over 100 tackles in 2015 and looks to be a good fit in the 4-3 system.